Dangerous gang boss linked to three killings parties as he leaves jail

Ken Foy
– 24 November 2016 02:30 AM

Missing couple Willie Maughan and Ana Varslavane

A major garda alert is in place after one of the country's most dangerous gangland criminals walked free from prison this week.

The vicious thug, strongly linked to three gruesome murders, left Cloverhill Prison on Monday after almost a year behind bars and is understood to have gone straight to a party in the Santry area of the capital's northside.

Leader

The gang boss, in his early 30s is expected to be based between addresses in Coolock, north Dublin, and his compound in Co Meath in the coming weeks.

Gardai have classified his criminal organisation as one of the country's most dangerous mobs and the leader of the mob was regularly refused bail while held on remand for serious charges that he was facing, which have now been resolved.

His release has already led to a major increase in garda patrols in the Balbriggan area of Dublin, a patch in which the criminal exerts major influence.

The now-released gang boss is suspected of being behind the murders of Willie Maughan and his partner Ana Varslavane who are believed to have been abducted and murdered by the dangerous mob when they went missing on April 14 last year in Gormanston, Co Meath.

The gangster was also previously arrested in relation to the murder of Benny Whitehouse who was shot dead at a school in Clonard Street, Balbriggan at 9am on September 25, 2014, in front of his partner.

Just before the feared gangster was locked up he was hit with a massive bill from the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Ahead of his arrest the paranoid criminal had built a 12-foot-high wall around his home compound, but did not realise at the time that senior gardai were actively formulating a plan to have him remanded in custody.

Sources said that, prior to him being locked up, gardai were becoming increasingly concerned about the dangerous activities of his gang. Gardai will now have to mount a number of special operations to stop further bloodshed.

"Things are expected to get very tense now that this individual is back on the streets," a source said last night.

It is understood that the gang boss has fallen out with a number of his closest associates since being locked up in January, including a criminal who is suspected of being the actual hitman for the Benny Whitehouse murder.

Another reason for concern are reports that a rival gang with strong links to Blanchardstown and Cavan town have taken over his patch while he spent most of the year in jail.

The released criminal's mob are suspects for a sickening incident in August when the grave of Willie Maughan's brother was dug up at Bohernabreena Cemetery in Tallaght.

The sinister incident came just a day after the family appealed for information to help find the remains of Willie.